NTCA autopsy rules out tranquiliser overdose in Bandhavgarh tiger death

Bhopal: A special team of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), which conducted a second autopsy on the tiger found dead inside a house in the buffer zone of Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve after it killed a woman and injured three villagers, has reportedly concluded that the animal died of cardio-respiratory failure caused by extreme stress, sources said.

The tiger had triggered panic in the village on May 24 after attacking residents before it was found dead during a rescue operation. Allegations had surfaced that the animal may have died due to an overdose of tranquiliser drugs administered during efforts to capture and relocate it.

However, sources familiar with the findings said the NTCA team has reportedly ruled out the overdose theory, indicating that the tiger was already dead before it was darted.

Officials associated with the inquiry said the tiger was likely under severe stress after being surrounded by hundreds of villagers during the incident. They added that the animal may also have been thirsty and hungry, factors that could have worsened its condition and behaviour before it collapsed.

The second autopsy was conducted on Monday at the State Wildlife Forensic Health (SWFH) facility in Jabalpur after questions were raised over the circumstances surrounding the tiger’s death. The examination was carried out by a panel of three veterinarians in the presence of an NTCA representative, senior Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve officials, the Director of SWFH, and veterinary pathology experts from Nanaji Deshmukh Veterinary Science University (NDVSU), Jabalpur.

Before beginning the examination, the expert panel reportedly reviewed the rescue operation, including photographs and video footage of the first postmortem conducted at Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve on Sunday under standard NTCA protocol.

According to sources, the second postmortem found the tiger’s skin to be rough and dry, muscles pale and dehydrated, and the gastrointestinal tract empty. Vital organs reportedly showed haemorrhagic changes and congestion, findings experts are linking to severe physiological stress and cardio-respiratory collapse.

Importantly, no visible haemorrhage was reportedly found in the right shoulder muscle at the darting site. Experts said this suggests the tranquiliser dart was administered after death, as living tissue would normally show bleeding or tissue reaction.

Officials said tissue and organ samples from all major organs have been preserved for toxicology and forensic analysis to scientifically establish the exact cause of death. While the final laboratory report is awaited, preliminary findings have reportedly ruled out the possibility of tranquiliser overdose.

The entire autopsy process was photographed and videographed to ensure transparency.